Vietspices Search

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

In one of the dessert posts - Banana Cake with Coconut Sauce (Bánh Chuối Hấp Nước Cốt Dừa) - I blogged awhile back, I mentioned about the dessert house Chè Bà Dũng located just around the corner from my house in Pleiku. She served and I hear she is still serving over 30 different types of chè (sweet pudding desserts). Her place is always packed especially when night falls. One of my favorite chè was steamed banana cake served with coconut sauce and fresh durian topped with crushed roasted peanuts and shaved ice. Oh...how I miss it!

But today I am blogging about a different kind of banana pudding dessert - sweet banana coconut tapioca pudding. Though I don't have a sweet tooth, the natural sweet bananas surrounded by soft creamy coconut sauce with little tapioca pearls and the slightly chewy texture of tapioca shreds with a touch of saltiness of the slightly salty roasted crushed peanuts or sesame seeds - all in one spoon - is just comforting and warm.

This Chè Chuối (Sweet Banana Coconut Tapioca Pudding) does require a specific type of bananas - the short, small, thin-peel Asian bananas called chuối xiêm. They are more firm, less sweet than the regular bananas. You can find this type of banana at most of the Asian market. Another type of bananas that would also work for this chè is plantain bananas. Make sure the bananas are ripe before making this chè otherwise it will have a bitter and sour taste.

1 can or paper carton (500 ml) Coconut Cream, I prefer the paper carton one

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Directions

Preparing Tapioca

Rinse and soak tapioca pearls and shreds in two seperate bowls. Set aside.

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Preparing Bananas

Cut bananas into 1 inch round or diagonal shapes. If used plantain, you might want to boil these cut bananas first to eliminate the bitter and sour taste. Bring a pot of water to a boil then add bananas and cook for about 2 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

I wasn't focus when cutting bananas. It's too thin.
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Preparing Roasted Peanuts or Sesame Seeds

Toast peanuts or sesame seeds. Let it cool down. Place it in a ziploc and slightly smash it to release the wonderful aroma of the sesame seeds or peanuts. Mix it with salt. Set aside.

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Cooking Chè

In a large pot, place water and pandan leaves and bring to a boil. My pandan leaves are pre-cut so they're too short for me to tie into knots.

Strain the water in the tapioca pearls and shreds bowls, then add them in the boiling water.

Once the water is boiling again, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Do not overcook, as the pearls will continue cooking in the coconut sauce. Stir occasionally so tapioca doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add banana, shredded young coconut, salt and sugar into the pot.

Cook for about 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn of heat. Add vanilla powder. You might need to adjust the amount of sweetness depends on what type of sugar you use. My rule of thumb is always remember to add a bit of salt to balance out the sweetness of dessert. Let it cool down a little bit. Remove and discard the pandan leaves. Pudding will continue to thicken as it cools.

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Presentation

Chè Chuối can be enjoyed hot, at room temperature, or chilled. I personal like it warm. Garnish it with sesame seeds or roasted peanuts before serving.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Spring is one of my favorite seasons of the year minus the allergies of course. April showers bring May flowers but also a myriad of allergens prior to the brilliant bloom. My daughters and I have allergies year round but it's significantly worse during this season. But despite the itchy and watery eyes, congestion and sneezing, spring in all of its natural glory beckons us outside into our backyard for some barbecuing and I couldn't do it because the darn allergies were so bad. That's what we get for being confined to the valley.

So yesterday I managed to create a new baked baby back rib recipe for my family to enjoy after a few weeks of eating out with much less healthy food. The ribs were served with these beautiful, tender, and tasty roasted garlic organic baby squash and sweet peppers. On an earlier post on my Facebook page, I alluded to carrot sticky rice with a hint of coconut fragrance, so that was incorporated as a lovely side dish.

My girls and husband thought these finger lickin' baby back ribs were so yummy. They're tender, moist and the meat falls right off the bone. The ribs were brushed with the thickened sauce - which is a mixture of the sauce from baked ribs mixed with corn starch - and left to broil for a few minutes until it's cooked on and bubbly. The recipe couldn't be any simpler. Give it a go!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Since our last mission in Saigon in February of this year, The Spices Of Life had planned to go deep into the villages of Pleiku where the ethic minorities reside in impoverished conditions to provide the children with warm clothes, instant noodle, cookies and candies to keep their hearts warm and hopes full.

It's unfortunate that we were not able to accomplish this due to the red taping in Vietnam. This has always been an obstacle. How sad it is to realize this irony as one of my blog readers describes the harsh reality: "làm từ thiện khó lắm Loan ơi mặc dù mình có tiền đi chăng nữa nhưng cũng không phải dễ". Translation: "Doing charity work is not easy even though you may have money". But, I am not giving up . . . and to succumb to the red tape would be even more heartbreaking.

So the work continues. . .
At last, we were able to reach out to two orphaned brothers whose their parents passed away seven years ago. The older brother, now 23, sacrificed his dream of attending college after finishing high school to become a masonry assistant as a mean to provide for his little brother. He hopes that his 12 year-old brother can continue with school and pursue a brighter future. When the weather permits this type of work, he brings home about $150 US dollars a month which is just barely enough for them to live through the month. When it rains, which happens frequently in this region of Vietnam, he's jobless and they have trouble making ends meet. The closest living relative near them is an uncle who bears the same financial burden.

The VSpice team arrives to find a home devoid of any furnishings; there were no table or chair for sitting except an old study table sitting next to a bed where the two brothers share every night. It's lunch time and the little brother is eating lunch and reading a book right on the floor.

The only precious and treasured items they have are an altar table and their parents' pictures seen here.

From the visit, the team learns that every morning, before heading to work the older brother gives his younger brother a ride to school because it's so far away. After school, the younger brother walks 4 kilometers home by himself. The Spices of Life Foundation decides to buy the little brother a bike and plans to support them with $50 per month when the funding permits.

We hope that this is a start to a brighter future for both of them.

Again, I'm grateful to the team in Vietnam for all the precious time and effort they have poured into spreading hope and love. To all my blog and Facebook readers, thank you for your kindness and generosity. Together, we can make a difference!

"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

Monday, April 13, 2015

One of the ways I incorporate our homegrown organic herbs is by having rolls for our meals. This is usually seen with boiled pork or grilled buttered beef. But this one is a fish roll. One of my older daughter's favorite fish-actually the only fish she would eat without throwing a fit- is salmon.

Being limited to one main ingredient, I have to come up with various recipes to get her to eat more fish. Fortunately, she likes baked salmon. Once the salmon comes out of the oven, topped with roasted peanuts, crispy shallots, and curly green onion ribbons, we roll the salmon in rice paper with an abundance of assorted herbs, cucumbers, lettuces, and dip it in a shrimp dipping sauce. The peanut sauce, fish sauce or fermented bean curd dipping sauce would all go well.

What makes this delicious looking baked salmon dish irresistible is the fresh aromatic scent rising from the salmon in banana leaves. My daughter thought it's the best aroma that ever came wafting out of our oven. This recipe is simple and it turns out delicious every time!

Once the sauce is blended well and start to boil, remove from heat. Add lime juice. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl. Add garlic chili sauce for spicy flavor. Set aside.

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Preparing Lettuce, Cucumbers and Herbs

Rinse lettuce and herbs. Set aside.

Shred green onions using this tool (dụng cụ chẻ rau muống). You can find it at almost any Asian market. These shredded green onions will curl up as you soak in the water for a few minutes.

Slice cucumbers into thin slices. Set aside

*Preparing Marinade

Placed garlic in the mortar, then crushed with the pestle to release the fresh flavor. In the same mortar, combine chicken bouillon power and olive oil. Mix well. Set aside.

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Preparing Salmon

Place a few banana leaves on the baking tray. Set aside.

Leave the piece of salmon as is or cut into a few pieces like I did for easy transfer to the serving plate without breaking the salmon apart.

Brush olive oil mixture over both sides of the salmon. Place the salmon on the tray and bake for about 7 minutes.
Switch to broil on high and cook for another 5 minutes until the surface of the salmon is golden brown. Salmon cooks very fast and the fish will dry out if cooking too long so be careful.

Remove salmon tray from the oven. Cut the banana leaves along the side of each piece and transfer each piece of salmon with the banana to a serving place. Top with roasted or deep fried peanuts and crispy shallots. Garnish with curly green onion ribbons.

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Presentation

Roll salmon and vegetables in a rice paper. Dip it in your favorite sauce and enjoy this healthy hearty meal!

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About Me

My husband and I have two lovely daughters. I'm incredibly fortunate to be able to stay at home to raise my daughters and experiment with food.
I was probably in love with food from my mother’s womb, but didn’t realize it until I found myself spending every cent of my allowance on snacks and frequently begging my maid to let me help out in the kitchen. The desire to cook was intense. I snuck into the kitchen when my maid was asleep and stole rice and matchsticks so my friend and I could cook it in our toy clay pot. I even bought ingredients from the market to make frozen banana dessert topped with shredded coconut and roasted peanuts and sold them to the neighborhood kids.
These fond memories eventually led to my Vietspices blog - born in October 2010- with the purpose of making memories with my girls and sharing our recipes, but ultimately creating a foundation for charity. I envision something that wound extend beyond my daily bread to encompass the basics of daily living – food, clothing, shelter - for those less fortunate. And this gave birth to The Spices of Life (Hương Vị Cuộc Sống) Foundation. It is under construction as I work out the logistics. Please stay tuned!